BLU-RAY
REVIEW: JUPITER
ASCENDING
5/31/2015

OVERVIEW:
From the creators of “The Matrix” Trilogy comes “Jupiter Ascending,” an original science fiction action adventure from filmmakers Lana and Andy Wachowski, arriving onto Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital HD on June 2 from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.
From the streets of Chicago to far flung galaxies whirling through space, “Jupiter Ascending” is written and directed by the Wachowskis. Award-winning producer Grant Hill, with whom they have collaborated since “The Matrix” Trilogy, produced the film, together with Lana and Andy Wachowski. Roberto Malerba and Bruce Berman serve as executive producers.
“Jupiter Ascending” will be available on Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack and 2-disc DVD Special Edition for $28.98. The Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack features the theatrical version of the film in 3D hi-definition, hi-definition and standard definition; the Blu-ray Combo Pack features the theatrical version of the film in hi-definition on Blu-ray; and the DVD features the theatrical version in standard definition. All versions include a digital version of the movie in Digital HD with UltraViolet. Fans can also own “Jupiter Ascending” via purchase from digital retailers.
SYNOPSIS: Jupiter Jones (Kunis) was born under a night sky, with signs predicting that she was destined for great things. Now grown, Jupiter dreams of the stars but wakes up to the cold reality of a job cleaning other people’s houses and an endless run of bad breaks. Only when Caine (Tatum), a genetically engineered ex-military hunter, arrives on Earth to track her down does Jupiter begin to glimpse the fate that has been waiting for her all along—her genetic signature marks her as next in line for an extraordinary inheritance that could alter the balance of the cosmos.
FILM REVIEW:
Fortunately in the world of sci-fi movie-making, the Wachowskis are routinely applauded for their ambitions, with no shortage of adrenaline-packed set pieces and intergalactic sceneries that look like they belong in a Discover channel special. And given their track record it’s no surprise that this movie is crammed with plot turns and eye-bulging visuals, including lavishly detailed sets and costumes. Yet it’s quite startling how inattentive they can be to certain filmmaking essentials, like attention to the character’s characteristics and details. For instance there are bulgy-eyed E. T.-like critters that pop up in just about every action scene, but are nothing resembling creative thinking or thinking outside the box. They simply look like bobble-headed naked creatures we’ve all seen in magazines stories related to “area 51” or abduction stories.
The main villain, played by Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything, 2014) is horrible to look at on screen and is much more suited for playing a creature of the night, like Dracula, etc. I think the Wachowskis’ intent was to have him exude mysterious, but aristocratic tendencies, but instead he came across more like a nocturnal creature that is repulsive at best. To add to the confusion of the plot, they presented multiple villains as though the wickedness of the movie could have benefited from such turmoil. Certainly, I believe if the central bad guy had been a little more suave, then his supposed aristocratic profile would have been a little more believable.
The visuals are quite dazzling and there is no question that they are good at making entire worlds, but, whether distracted by the big stuff or bored by the small, in recent times, they seem to have a tougher time making movies that have real substance, like The Matrix I. Consequently, a clear indication in their decent from being at the top of their game came in the form of the follow-ups to the original Matrix and then the slide continued with the release of the 2008 movie “Speed Racer” and 2012’s “Cloud Atlas.”
So, once again I enjoyed this movie more than the last two flicks, which says to me that maybe the Wachowskis are making moves in the right direction, artistically speaking, but are executing in slow motion. In other words, we’ll probably have to wait for a few more blunders on their part before we can expect another game changer from them, like The Matrix.
Unfortunately, there is very little here to defend in Jupiter Ascending, it is a sci-fi saga that’s convoluted and silly and down-right a wasted opportunity for the
Wachowskis, but it did have a few exciting and enthralling action scenes with some creative thinking behind it (the jet boots for instance). Nevertheless, I believe most will find the story somewhat incomprehensible and not worth going to the theaters to watch. Three out of five stars is my way of being generous here
Review
By Movi-Man Stan
BLU-RAY:
The film is
presented in widescreen in a 2.40:1 aspect ration preserving its
theatrical format. The picture is just flawless. Not only the
picture looks great in this release, also the sound it is good,
a 5.1 Dolby Digital in English that provides a good complement
to the picture. It also includes English,
French
and Spanish subtitles.
VIDEO:
Widescreen (2.40:1) 16x9
AUDIO:
English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Latin Spanish, Canadian French, Brazilian Portuguese
Subtitles -
English SDH, Latin Spanish, Parisian French, Brazilian Portuguese
SPECIAL
FEATURES:
Blu-ray™ unleashes the power of your HDTV and is the best way to watch movies at home, featuring 6X the picture resolution of DVD, exclusive extras and theater-quality surround sound.
DVD offers the flexibility and convenience of playing movies in more places, both at home and away.
DIGITAL HD with UltraViolet™ lets fans watch movies anywhere on their favorite devices. Users can instantly stream or download.
Jupiter Jones: Destiny Is Within Us
Jupiter Ascending: Genetically Spliced Caine Wise: Interplanetary Warrior
The Wachowskis: Minds Over Matter
Worlds Within Worlds Within Worlds
Bullet Time Evolved
From Earth to Jupiter (And Everywhere in Between)